Netflix saves Star Trek: Prodigy after Paramount+ killed it for tax write-offs
The animated series, which co-stars Voyager's Kate Mulgrew, had its season 2 order rescinded by Paramount+ back in June
It’s been quite a few years, at this point, since Netflix shed its reputation as the savior of under-utilized, under-appreciated TV shows; these days, the streamer is far more likely to go on a killing spree of its own than it is to pull an Arrested Development or a Lucifer off the trash heap of the traditional networks and prop them back up to the cheers of fans. Still, there’s nothing like Star Trek for a good trip back to the past, and so we get news from THR today that Netflix has decided to save animated series Star Trek: Prodigy, after its home streamer, Paramount+, canceled it back in June.
Even stranger than Netflix saving the show, though, was Paramount+ letting it slip into a rival’s hands in the first place: Star Trek, as a whole, has been the cornerstone of Paramount’s streaming strategy for years at this point, dating back all the way to when the brand new Star Trek: Discovery was the single biggest reason to shell out for the service that was then called CBS All Access. It’s not like the kids-themed Prodigy is an outside product, either: the series—a youth-themed update on the formula of Star Trek: Voyager, complete with Kate Mulgrew in a starring role—is produced through Paramount’s in-house animation studios, in association with Official Star Trek Guy Alex Kurtzman. The series was, per THR, killed off in part for tax write-off reasons, leading to an outcry of online protests—and some real-world consequences, as fans apparently paid to have a plane fly over the Netflix office building sporting a banner begging the streamer to revive the show.
So, there you have it, folks: Airplane banners work, always, and every single time. Kurtzman, at least, sounds thrilled about the news, giving a statement today thanking fans, and writing that, “We set out to inspire you, but you inspired us. The team is still hard at work on the second season, and we can’t wait to share it with the amazing fans around the world.” Mulgrew issued a statement of her own, adding that, “I’ve always held that the Star Trek fan base is among the strongest and most intelligent in the world. They have shown their collective passion, and we’re happy to be able to celebrate Prodigy once again.”
The first season of Prodigy will arrive on Netflix later this year, with the in-production second season coming in 2024.